Push button switch



May 2, 1961 S. BRANTINGSON PUSH BUTTON SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15. 1959 Il Illlll INVENTOR. 5MM/RD nLw/vr/Ncffo/v May 2, 1961 s. BRANTlNGsoN PUSH BUTTON SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1959 R4 my ,on N a, Em n T A im UnitedStates iltlfffm 112,982,337 P'Us'fH I Sigurdrairtliigsn; Livingston, NJ.,':assignor tof Brin -;Manlifactil'ring Co., flue., Newark, NJ., a corporation c ofi-NewJ'ersey Y v Filed Apr. 15, 1959, Ser. No.v 806,715 retains. -;(c1. 2004159) 'vennen rela-ts 'imprevementszin pifs'hbuttcn erectncnswitcnes. grnc; switch of this` inventicn. inccrcent thejlowere'nds oftheap'etures'16 and 17, and a mvable'gnieinber z8 (Figs. 2.,.5 and 7)` is provided@ made of flexible material so' 'that' when s'a'id member is moved in the direction vofthe arrow 31 (-Fig. 2) the free ends thereof will engage' the cam surfaces' 26,27 and will cam theielt''d' riOfVebtWI'dly against the OlSet'elidS 24,

c 2s of' lthe*fingers'1.4; I1s, detecting Vstia nage-rs' from :the

planesof theearS 22,123 so that the `button 1'1 and at-l tache'd"iingers.l 14, 15 rn'ay be separated from gthe'plate 12' andotherparts of the button, to facilitate replacement of 'thejlif'g'ht bulb'32 (Fig. 1)`or to open` the switch for i any other reason. Thejbulb32'is a miniature one'having peratcsinevclMfcturcsfacintating the asseinuytherecf nta'ebnipact, pcs jvelyA acting, troublejfree'uni i y @frenchy-separate mja eimpleiannenrferrcp replacement of' 'the light bulb cr. other 'partsthe'rcei' The switch is so designed that "t:he;' "artsthereof-twill automaticallyv -interlock for.l initial assembly, andeuse and,

`after separation A'f for rrepair other purpose, they may =be `readily-again automatically interlocked. v Otherobjects and advantages will Vappear iron'fthe deplate and Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view of parts of the device of the invention, shown in assembled relation,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of anl insulating bearing which may be used in carrying out the invention, and

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the manner in vwhich the spring fingers, shown in normal position interlocking the parts in Figs. 1 and 2, may be displaced for separation of the parts, pursuant to the invention.

As shown in the drawings, switch 10 of the invention comprises a button 11 formed of light lpermeable material, normally urged away from a plate 12, Fig. 3, by spring 13, separating said parts for a predetermined distance determined by the length of flexible fingers 14, 15 passing through apertures 16, 17 of the plate 12. Said fingers 14, 15 are secured in predetermined spaced relation to the button 11 as for example, by forming the lingers 14, 15 unitarily with a disc 18 (Fig. 3) which in turn is force-fitted or otherwise secured to the inner end 19 of button 11 (Fig. 1). Complementary means are provided such that the button will be initially interlocked with the plate by the lingers 14, 15 while being movable as required in pushing the button to effect completion of the circuit through the wires 20, 21 to the device to be actuated by the button on depressing the button against the pressure of the spring 13, and opening said circuit on relieving the pressure. A

The plate 12 is preferably provided with ears 22, 23Y extending partially into the apertures 16 and 17, the upper surfaces of said ears being curved or otherwise inclined downwardly. The fingers 14, 15 are provided with offset ends 24, (Fig. 3) so that, on assembly of the button movably on the plate 12 as above mentioned,

the ends 24, 25 of the fingers will lirst slide over the n downwardly directed surfaces 22, 23 of the ears and will then snap Ibeneath the lower ends of said ears, interlocking the parts by this complementary interengaging means.

{'Ille plate 12 is provided with cam surfaces 26, 27 adjatained electric leadsj33l, y.t4"vvhich` afre positioned in and make contactwith lthe brackets 35,36 which also frictionally holdvth'e bulbfand which have electrical connectiomas through `therivets`37,38 Iixe'd to 'thefdepending tubular posts3 9, 40 of theplate 12, with posts 43, 44. `Plate i12 isfpreferbly made of insulating material'and is ,securc'dby 'said rivets to the conductor -p1ates41,4z (Fig. 5

tt-which the' circuit wires' 20, 21 are' connected as tlnough t e"bir1'dir`1g'fp sts43,l 44.- Thev lplates *41, '42'are mainnele'ctricallyfinslated by a'n intermediate bearing plate 45 (Figsf, '2` and which' is' positioned in'terme` diste -theplatcf 1,2' vand thccontact'p1ates'41 and 42, the partsjbeingasse'mbled 'by'the'rivets 38. ('Fi'g. 1). The

. bearingplate `45, 'is provided,y at thelowerend thereof,

wit-nan aperture (Figs. 2 and 6) kin'whicnthestu'd'217 unitarily formed at the lower end of the U-shaped movable member 28, may reciprocate (arrow 31, Fig. 2).

Member 28, in the form shown in Fig. 7, is Y-shaped and the free ends 29 and 30 thereof are adapted to have camming engagement-with the cam surfaces 26, 27 of thev plate 12 as above mentioned, the opposite stud end 47 is, as mentioned above, adapted to reciprocate in the aperture 46 of said bearing plate 45. In addition to the rbrackets 35, 36 which are shown as in Figs. 1 and 2 secured to the plate 12 bythe rivets 38, a casing 49 (Figs. 1 and 2) may be provided in the form of a shell secured by said rivets intermediate the parts (Figs. 1 and 2) the button. 11 being `movably telescopically received inthe casing 49 and partially projecting there from. A plurality of springs 50 may also be secured (Figs. -l and 4) to the switch so that the switch may be inserted into an aperture of slightly greater diameter than the body portion 51 of the casing 49, the springs 50, extending outwardly therefrom, providing a friction lit enabling the ready and firm insertion of the switch in a suitable aperture and enabling the easy removal thereof. The plates 41, 42 may be provided with stop studs 52 directed toward each other to prevent excess upward movement of the member 28 in the switch (Fig. 5).

In the operation of the device of the invention, on pushing the button 11, the fingers 14, 15 move downwardly into contact with means such as the contact studs 53 (Figs. 5 and 2) on the plates 42 to complete the circuit to the device to be controlled; on releasing pressure on the butto-n, the disc 18 and thereby its fingers 14, 15 will be moved upwardly by spring 13 and out of contact with the studs '53. g

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A push button switch comprising a plate having apertures therethrough, a push button, flexible lingers secured at one end to said push button member and passed through the plate apertures,complernentary means on the plate and lingers interlocking them on depressing the button toward the plate and moving said lingers through the plate apertures, spring means engaging the plate and button and holding the button away from the plate, and means positioned in said switch below the plate and movable toward the plate and into engagement with the nger ends extending through the vplate aperkententes May k2, 1961 plate being formed adjacent said apertures thereof with Y cam surfaces directed away from the apertures through which the lingers pass and said means -movable in said switch comprising a U-shaped exible member aligned with said cams so that when said member is moved, the free ends thereof will engage said cams and expand outwardly and into engagement with said ingers and will move said fingers out of engagement with the complementary interengaging means on the plate so that thebutton and ngers may be Yseparated from the plate.

'4'. `A push button switch comprising 'aplate having apertures therethrough, a push button member, exble fingers secured at one end to said push button member and passed through the plate apertures, complementary pressed, so that on depressing the button against the pressure of 'said spring, said fingers will be moved into contact with said electric terminal parts, completing the circuit therethrough, and means positioned in Said switch below the plate and movable toward the plate and into engagement with the finger ends extending through the plate apertures for disengaging said iinger ends from said n complementary plate means so that said button and fingers may be separated from` the plate.

`5. In a push button switch as set forth `in claim'4, means for securing a light bulb within said switch beneath the button said button being made of light permeable material. r i

6. In a push button switch as setV forth in claim 1, means in'said switch to limit the movement of said means positioned in the switch toward the plate.

7. In a push button switch as set forth in claim 1, a

stud at the closed end of the U-shaped member and demeans on the plate and iingers interlocking them on de pressing the button toward the plate andy moving said i fingers throughvthe plate apertures, spring meansy vengaging the plate and button holdingthe button away from the plate, electrical terminal parts secured to the plate, in insulated spaced relation and in line with the apertures of the plate and normally spaced from the position of the lower ends of the fingers when the spring is not com-V iiningA therewith a Y-shapedV member,` and a bearing Vse.- cured .to said switch belowvthe plate slidably receiving said stud, the parts being so proportioned `that the free end of said stud protrudes 'fromthe bearing to facilitate moving said stud and thereby the U-shaped member into engagement with .said fingers. Y

v References Cited the file'of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,699,491 Miller Ian. 15, 1929 

